Responses (6 total)

Elliot, I commend you for wanting to step up your game and wanting to get a fightstick!

I was in the same boat as you a year ago when Street Fighter 4 came out. I used a controller exclusively all my life but I made a decision to finally get a fightstick and improve my game and that's exactly what happened!

After a bit of research, I finally made the choice to get the Mad Catz FightStick TE for $150 + tax. Truth be told, the purchase was worth every penny and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Here's why: 1) Excellent Build Quality 2) Great Design 3) High Quality Japanese Sanwa Parts

Once you get competent with a fighting character using a FightStick TE you will understand how awesome it is. It just feels natural and very responsive.

I have tried using various other joysticks such as Hori & custom made ones but none of those compare to the FightStick TE (in my humble opinion).

Now onto where to buy one...simple put at Amazon. They consistently have the best deals on Mad Catz FightStick TEs (whenever the official Mad Catz online store isn't running a promotion during big gaming convention events).

Since you didn't specify which system you owned, I've provided links for both 360 and/or PS3.

I personally own 2 Round 1 FightStick TEs. The Round 2 FightStick TE is pretty much the same as a Round 1 and the TE S is just a slimmer version of the Round 1/2. I've used both and don't really have a preference of one over the other. I actually kind of prefer the bulkiness of the Round 1 FightStick TE but just know that you can't go wrong with either design.

If you do decide to pull the trigger and get one, please report back on your experience with a Mad Catz FightStick TE! Good luck!

SpeedBrkr made a really good, lengthy post on the subject. While he is technically correct, I'll go ahead and plug how to find the specific sales that he's referring to. This way, you can use those exact same Mad Catz TE FightSticks... for quite a bit cheaper.

Add @MarkMan23 on Twitter (if you don't have Twitter, get it just for him for now -- MarkMan works directly for MadCatz) and check every so often. Every time there is a big event, like E3, PAX, San Diego CC and so on, there tend to be fairly major discounts applied to some of the sticks. You can easily save ~25-35% on a TE FightStick if you keep your eyes peeled browsing around.

hori make some really good sticks. just dont get the madcatz se unless if your gonna mod it, because the stick and buttons are trash. i had to mod mine. but the madcatz TE sticks are good but pretty high. still good though

Lurk www.slickdeals.net - that's where I saw that Amazon.com had a Video Game section Deal of the Day for the Mad Catz Fight Stick TE 360/PS3 for $100.

Also be sure to look at www.craigslist.org as there are probably people in your general area that are selling an arcade stick of some sort.

I've also heard that you can get a Mad Catz Fight Stick (non-Tournament Edition) for around $50 and you can add your own Sanwa/Seimitsu arcade parts later (if you go on www.lizardlick.com, for example). When you get those parts, though, it'll probably end up being around $20-something for the joystick, a few dollars for the ball top, a few dollars (times 6-8) for the buttons, plus shipping. So yeah, you save money, but not THAT much money.

I'd advise to just shell out the cost of the Mad Catz Fight Stick TE. I know that right now it's probably hard for you to justify spending $100+ on a video game peripheral, but seriously, after you own a Fight Stick TE, it's hard to imagine not playing with one. If mine broke, I'd buy a new one right now, full-price.

Another reason to opt for the Fight Stick TE over the $50 Fight Stick is the weight. The $50 version is just really light; it wobbles on your lap while you're playing. The Fight Stick TE is heavier which helps to simulate the arcade experience (where you're playing on a hard surface that doesn't move or wobble at all; this is the ideal environment). If you got the Fight Stick TE, I can't imagine you'd be disappointed. And if you were, and you wanted to sell it, someone's guaranteed to buy it from you.